Estella June Samaripa

Estella June (Holguin) Samaripa, 101, of Placentia, passed away Monday, May 30, exactly one month before her 102nd birthday. Estella was married to Joe Samaripa for 77 years before his passing in 2016, and she is survived by her four sons, their wives, nine grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and three great-great grandchildren. Across her long life, Estella found purpose in caring for others and living her faith. The circle of people she loved stretched far beyond relatives to friends, neighbors, fellow parishioners and all their children. She passed somehow fittingly on Memorial Day in the company of four generations of her family.

Born June 30, 1920, in Los Angeles to Jose and Esther Holguin, Estella was the oldest of six siblings, so she learned how to “mother” early on. At 18, she fell in love with Joe, who she met at a movie theater just a few blocks from her home. They were there to see the first “talkies” of the ’30s. They married September 12, 1938. During World War II, they had two sons, Brian in 1941 and Henry in 1943, before Joe entered the Army in 1944. Estella helped the war effort, too, working nights with her sister making Jeep tires at the iconic U.S. Tire factory, now the Citadel Outlets in Commerce. After Joe returned home from the war in 1946, they welcomed two more sons, Joe Jr. in 1948 and Mark in 1953.

Estella always had a heart for children. She doted on every grandchild that came into her life, then great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren after that. After her own kids were grown, she went to work in local high school cafeterias so she could cook for a whole new group of young people. The students loved her, and she served the school community for about 15 years. Food was an expression of love, so Estella fed all who entered her home. She always had a full pantry and something on the stove, especially her crispy tacos. She balanced serving treats from her well-stocked candy dishes with offering fresh fruit from her backyard trees full of figs, oranges and lemons.

A testament to the love Estella gave was the love she received from her boys, who were resolute that Mom should live all her days at home. With support from many kindhearted daytime caregivers, Estella’s sons and daughters-in-law took turns staying with her in her home each night for the past six years. Placentia has been the family home since 1956, when she and Joe moved there from Los Angeles. She enjoyed attending her boys’ sporting events at Valencia High School and was an active parishioner at St. Joseph Catholic Church, sharing her skills as a cook at large church gatherings and picnics.

Her faith was engrained in a saying she was known to use frequently — “one day at a time.” She believed that every day was a blessing, full and complete on its own. Whether the day brought joy or challenges, she greeted it with a desire to live well in the moment, not burdened by what came next. Because she trusted in God, all of Estella’s days will now have the peace of eternal life.

Viewing and rosary will be Friday, June 10, 6–8 p.m. at McAulay & Wallace, 902 N. Harbor Blvd., Fullerton. Funeral mass will be Saturday, June 11, 10 a.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 717 N. Bradford Ave., Placentia. A reception will follow, and burial will be at Evergreen Cemetery in Los Angeles.